bancarotta

bankruptcy

noun bahn-kah-ROHT-tah Rare

Origin: From banca (bench/bank) + rotta (broken) — the bench of a bankrupt moneychanger was symbolically broken.

Usage Note

Bancarotta specifically refers to criminal or fraudulent bankruptcy in Italian law (bancarotta fraudolenta), making it more serious than the civil fallimento (insolvency). Declaring bancarotta can lead to criminal prosecution. The vivid etymology — a broken money-changer's bench — makes it memorable. Do not use it interchangeably with fallimento in formal contexts.

Examples

"La società ha dichiarato bancarotta dopo anni di perdite."

Natural Translation

The company declared bankruptcy after years of losses.

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